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A US nuclear submarine crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in a new show of force directed against Iran, as the anniversary of the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a drone, approaches. [aparelho aéreo não-tripulado] North American.
The USS Georgia can be equipped with 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and carry 66 special forces soldiers, the United States Navy announced in a statement, which does not normally disclose the presence of its submersibles in the world.
The press release is illustrated with photographs showing USS Georgia on the surface, escorted by the battleships USS Port Royal and USS Philippine Sea, in this strategic strait that Iran threatens to block regularly.
The presence of the submarine in this region “demonstrates the US commitment to guaranteeing the safety of maritime routes through a wide range of capabilities that allow them to be prepared to defend themselves from an attack at any time,” the US Navy continued.
US military officials fear an Iranian attack to avenge powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, killed on January 3, 2020 in a US drone strike near the Baghdad airport.
In a phone interview with some journalists on Sunday, the head of US forces in the Middle East, General Frank Mckenzie, warned that the United States is “ready to respond” if Iran attacks.
This anniversary will coincide with the reduction of US military personnel in Iraq, and the Pentagon has multiplied shows of force in recent weeks to deter opponents in Washington.
Two US B-52 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew over the Gulf region on December 10 and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crossed the Gulf area in late November.
On Sunday, several mortars hit the US embassy in Baghdad, causing material damage but no casualties.
The attack is the third against US military and diplomatic facilities since an October truce with pro-Iranian Iraqi factions ended a year of attacks on foreign facilities across Iraq.
